Fizz, a community-based discussion and news feed app, has become a platform for Seton Hall students to connect through text, image or video posts.
Founded in 2020 by Stanford University students, Fizz sought to create a campus-specific, centralized platform for university-wide conversations in a private setting.
To ensure the exclusivity of campus conversations, users must verify enrollment through a valid university email address with a corresponding “.edu” domain or other approved proof of enrollment.
In a Forbes profile, the publication said, “students can use Fizz to stay up to speed on news, events, parties and other happenings across campus; exchange intel and recs on what classes to take; connect with peers and more.”
Fizz communities launch at campuses where significant interest is shown, and the platform now operates on more than 700 campuses, each with its own private forum. Seton Hall is one of the participating campuses using Fizz as a primary discussion platform, where many students said they first encountered the app during move-in weekend.
Che Cedano, a sophomore biology major in the 3+3 physician’s assistant program, said Fizz helped him acclimate socially during his freshman year.
“It was helpful to know what the social atmosphere was kind of like,” Cedano said. “You decide how much of it you’re gonna take, but people talk about different events and places on campus, so you learn about it that way.”
Other students, like Elan Thomas, a junior marketing and law major, said they find humor in the app.
“People post their crushes and stuff, which I thought was funny,” Thomas said. “Somebody put me on there and I was like, ‘What the f—?’”
With the comedy on the app, Thomas said Fizz fosters a sense of community.
“Whenever you’re about to fail a class, get on Fizz and you’ll be fine,” Thomas said. “I felt supported.”
Valerie Vargas, a freshman occupational therapy major in the 3+2 program, said she also downloaded Fizz to stay informed and primarily views memes and party-related posts.
However, she said the platform’s anonymity emboldens users to act without consequences.
Despite enrollment verification, users are not required to display their identities, with most opting to interact anonymously.
“I think people are [ruder] and bolder, because they say things they wouldn’t say to someone’s face,” Vargas said. “They’re mean and evil.”
Cedano agreed that users take advantage of Fizz’s anonymous platform to criticize others.
“Being able to not show your name and speak on someone else’s name is not it,” Cedano said.
Dylan Guzman, a sophomore finance and marketing major, said he stopped using Fizz after his first semester, describing the platform as “toxic and childish.”
“People just post anonymous things for no reason,” Guzman said.
He added that the platform crosses ethical and emotional boundaries when users target individuals.
“I remember freshman year people would talk about specific people sitting in a specific area of campus,” Guzman said.
Students also cited concerns over racially-motivated hate speech. Ryan Cotarroja, a senior interactive multimedia major, said he has seen persistent harmful rhetoric on Fizz.
“There have been posts that have been about Asians, and even targeting us Filipinos,” Cotarroja said.
Other students expressed concern over the vulgarity of posts.
Danica Milliot, a sophomore interprofessional health science major, described Fizz as a negative space filled with strange and inappropriate content.
“It’s usually complaints about teachers or the school in general and people saying they are horny or someone is hot,” Milliot said.
She also pointed to increased politicization this year, especially following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Jacklyn Benson, a freshman nursing major, said she was shocked by the openness of sexual conversations, calling them “out of pocket and strange.”
“Something about hooking up or getting with people— that is weird,” Benson said. “Especially when people are asking for opinions or like, ‘What should I do?’”
While Benson said she believes Fizz can help people seek advice safely, which brings the community together, “there needs to be a line drawn.”
Echoing Benson’s concerns, Thomas warned against overexposure.
“Even in a lighthearted way, too much of Fizz is bad for you,” Thomas said.
However, Thomas advocated for anonymity, saying they can help students who struggle socially.
“Platforms are very important, especially with all the mental health issues now, so without an anonymous place for people to express themselves, it could be bad,” he said.
Milliot, however, called for the abolition of the app altogether, stating that it brings no net positive to the SHU community.
“If we took away Fizz, word would still get around and, without the anonymity, it would likely be in a more positive way,” Milliot said.
Beyond concerns about tone and safety, some students said Fizz has simply lost its appeal over time. Melina Beltran, a junior public relations major, said the platform was more relevant during her earlier years at SHU.
“I just got bored of it, to be honest,” she said.
Beltran believes many upperclassmen share that sentiment.
“I feel like freshmen love it because they don’t have an app like this in high school,” she said. “But then it dies out.”
Beltran said most posts are forgettable or fabricated.
“It gets old and I only remember a few things now,” she said. “Also, I feel like people make stuff up, so I don’t really care for it.”
Despite their concerns, some students still deemed Fizz entertaining. Benson said the app often provides comic relief.
“When I see a notification pop up on my phone, I’m always dying laughing,” Benson said.
Cotarroja added that the platform can offer students a space to express diverse opinions.
“This school is going to have students with many different opinions, and it is intriguing to see how other people think,” he said.
“Basically, Fizz is the wild west when it comes to opinions,” Cotarroja said.
Solomon Lee is the advertising manager for The Setonian. He can be reached at solomon.lee@student.shu.edu.
